Client Reviews & Testimonials

I was a little uneasy to start training, but once I began……… I was hooked. My trainer Jessica was nothing but amazing start to finish. She evaluated my level of physical strength and endurance and created customized session to push me to my limit. Never did I feel outside my comfort zone and I always left with the satisfaction of being sore and sweaty. If you are even thinking about a personal trainer call them for the free evaluation. It was just the push I needed to get going.

-Andrew Hueter

If you are considering getting a personal trainer DO IT here! It is an investment worth making. First of all, the owner, Kisar, is brilliant and probably one of the most dedicated trainers I have ever met. Secondly, my trainer, Jessica, has taught me so much! I am so much stronger, faster, and my balance has improved tremendously over the past 3 months that I have been training with her. I have been to a few trainers at different gyms in the past, but Jessica is by far the best! She knows how to challenge you, and helps you focus on proper form so you don’t injure yourself (very important). She keeps the work out fresh and interesting so you never get bored. I lost 4 inches in 3 months. Best investment I’ve ever made! She has also been supportive outside of our sessions and has run races with me. I couldn’t ask for a better trainer. Jessica is amazing! I highly recommend her!

-Sara Fisher

I have been working out at the Art of Personal Training for about 3 months and absolutely love it! I’ve done personal training before, but the experience I’ve had at this gym doesn’t even compare to my previous experiences. Mallory is awesome! She is super personable and keeps my workouts exciting by switching up what we do each time. I’ve also seen really great results in a short amount of time. My arms are getting really toned and if I lay off the beer, I know my stomach will get there shortly 🙂 I would highly recommend the Art of Personal Training to anyone that is interested in pushing themselves alongside motivated trainers, in an intimate setting.

– Jen Levine

I have been working out with Mallory for about 6 weeks! I have to say that coming off major foot reconstruction I was nervous and suffering from muscle loss. Mallory has kept the workouts challenging and advancing in difficulty. She take the time to check in on my rehab progress and can immediately adapt when the injury won’t take a planned exercise. She keeps it fun and I have to say she pushes me just past the point I want to slap her…LOL….Not really, but she kicks my butt! I like the facilities and the one on one attention I get. I wouldn’t be improving this fast without Mallory, her determination and her expertise!

-Sam Hull

I have been going here for over a month now and I’m starting to notice a difference. I’m pretty much an out of shape software developer, and on my butt all day behind a computer screen. I love the motivation and one-on-one attention I get. I train with Mallory — who’s really awesome. Always friendly, upbeat, and helping me stay motivated. She always takes time to catch up and ask how I’m doing. Definitely a better person touch than a traditional big gym.

-Steven Irby

Ihave been training at The Art of Personal Training for one year now and I absolutely love this place. I currently train with both the personal trainers here: Mallory Stevens and Jessica Kelly, and they are the best. My workouts are always different, the private studio never has more than four people in there and they have just awesome service. I have trained at the corporate gyms, the group training set up, but nothing beats just professional one on one training. The owner, Kisar, has done a wonderful job picking the 2 best trainers to work here, and all the clients I talk too just love the location and how private it is. I was looking for something like this in Portland for a while, but all of the places that looked half way decent mainly offered group training, which is not what I wanted. I will continue to train with Mallory and Jessica because they not only get me, but I feel super comfortable knowing that I am taken care of by professionals who want to make this their career, not just a summer job. I highly recommend this facility!

-Liz A. K.

They are convenient, patient, understanding, reasonable, personable, funny, prompt, and very serious about our results. They never give up on us. The fitness program they provide is personalized and well thought out. It is tailor made for our age, weight, and the goals we wish to achieve. They know how to push without pushing too far. Having some training in psychology might help too; most people like to talk to their trainer like they do their therapist, bartender, nail technician, or hair stylist!

-Susan

Iwas looking for some help achieving fitness requirements for work, starting from scratch, and found Kisar’s gym online at the top of the search results. I was very impressed that I received an email reply and phone call in one day of my online inquiry, and that Kisar was interested in learning more about my goals and time frame of achieving them. At our first meeting, I could sense that they wanted to understand my initial abilities, measurements, and limits so that my twice-weekly training sessions would be safe and simultaneously challenging. During our training sessions, I found that Kisar and Jessica were very professional, friendly, and invested in seeing that I had the right tools, training, and support in working towards my fitness goals. I appreciated Jessica’s explanations of exercises, what muscle groups or strategies were being worked on, and her support even on rough days. Every training session was different and challenging. The gym itself is located in a easy-to-access location of Portland by car and by public transit. It is in a nicely maintained building with clean bathrooms. The gym is well-ventilated, in great condition, and always clean. Kisar and Jessica always made sure it was organized and safe. If you’ve made it down to the end of my post, I really hope you contact Kisar because The Art of Personal Training is truly amazing and I wanted to take the time to explain it! I started from scratch, with huge improvements in less than 2 months in my running time, push-ups sit-ups and overall confidence in my capabilities. My friends and family have commented on my improved general health and appearance. Kisar and Jessica really cared about my experience and I wish I could work with them still! Too bad I moved out of Portland.

-Meg Lee

Ichose you because you were easy to talk to and you embodied the ideas of fitness…and… it was your hot body! I think you provide excellent customer service. You are on time. You are conscientious regarding a person’s physical capabilities, and I like your stories! The gym was not the best place to be trained. I found it distracting and the time allotted for one-on-one training was approximately 35 minutes. The environment was very crowded, equipment was being used and I found myself trying to adjust my schedule around my trainer’s.

-Randy

You manage to train me even though my schedule is crazy. You make me workout harder than if I do it on my own. You change the routine all the time so I don’t get bored. You’re fun and I can beat you up! Thanks for putting up with me!

-Lo

Imet Kisar running Hood to Coast and was really motivated by his enthusiasm. He invited me to come in and check out his studio and I haven’t looked back since. I was an athlete growing up but had fallen out of any routine. I have been more challenged working with him and have been more pleased with my physical results than I ever could have imagined. I have worked with Kisar, Jessica and Matt and would absolutely recommend all three for strength training, weight loss or to challenge oneself. I have so much fun training at the studio and always leave feeling amazing.